UPDATE 1-Colombia says Ecopetrol near closing refinery deal

(Adds comments from minister)

BOGOTA, May 27 (Reuters) - Colombia's state oil company Ecopetrol has "practically closed" a deal to buy a majority stake in a Cartagena refinery project from Swiss-based Glencore for $549 million, officials said on Wednesday.

Mines and Energy Minister Hernan Martinez said the contract for the deal would be ready this week for Ecopetrol to acquire 51 percent of the refinery project.

The refinery is to be expanded from its current 75,000 barrels per day to 140,000 bpd as part of Colombia's plan to become self-sufficient in gasoline and expand its petrochemicals industry.

Martinez said the government could also sell part of the refinery project in shares on the stock market. Ecopetrol itself is 89.9 percent owned by the state with shares traded in New York and Bogota. (Reporting by Javier Mozzo in Bogota; Editing by Christian Wiessner)